by BAR executive editor Glen Ford

“People are looking for Russians, but what we had is a real Jim Crow election.”

Like a gyroscope gone out of whack, the destabilized U.S. duopoly system is spinning out of control on a course to self-destruction. In a breathtaking rush to they-know-not-where, the Democrats have deliberately whipped up an anti-Russian war hysteria not experienced in three generations.

The Russians, however, have virtually nothing to do with the crisis, which is very soon likely to degenerate into something resembling civil war at home.

The ruling class is undoing itself. Refusing to accept Electoral College defeat, the bipartisan War Party that coagulated in Hillary Clinton’s big campaign tent in terror of Donald Trump’s “softness” on Russia and his heresies regarding the unfettered flow of capital, now stacks dynamite under the very system that has kept the rich in power throughout the history of the Republic. They hope to create a crisis that might -- at maximum -- reverse the election outcome. At minimum, they seek to force the new administration to abandon any notions of peaceful coexistence with those states that present obstacles to U.S. global domination.


However, in their frenzy to abort the Trump presidency, the Clintonites and their bipartisan national security establishment allies are showing the world just how fragile the U.S. political system really is when faced with serious contradictions between ruling elites. The duopoly arrangement, through which the bourgeoisie control both major parties, is the glue that stabilizes the system. There is no magic to the American structure of government that automatically sustains the hegemony of the rich.

If the ruling elites fail to uphold the gentlemen’s agreement that is the heart of the duopoly, then the system can fall apart. Radicals are not expected to be protectors of the duopoly system, but when the bourgeoisie behave so recklessly it is a sign of crisis in the ruling class.


“They hope to create a crisis that might -- at maximum -- reverse the election outcome.”

Donald Trump violated the agreement when he signaled a desire for a thaw with Russia, an end to the regime change offensive, and opposition to so-called “free” trade -- and then took a wrecking ball to the Republican Party establishment. The GOP fat cats fled, to the extent that they could, to Hillary Clinton’s Big Tent, hoping to return to their old turf after The Donald was crushed by the expected Clinton landslide. With their desertion, the GOP-Dem duopoly became dangerously lopsided, unbalanced -- an instability made even more complex by the Democrats’ Bernie Sanders insurgency.



When Trump was declared the winner, Clinton’s Big Tent -- the de facto headquarters of the “truer and more fully explicit ruling class party” -- panicked. The gyro went whacky. For multinational capital, the quest for worldwide full spectrum dominance is an existential issue; they must achieve it, or die.  What they have shown over the past several weeks is that they are willing, and even eager, to bring down the whole edifice of U.S. social and political “checks and balances” -- freedom of speech and other civil liberties -- to sustain the momentum of their neoliberal offensive in the world.

The true hegemony of the ruling class consists of more than simply control of the “commanding heights” of the economy and positions of governmental power, but also of the authoritative political narrative.

The “fake news” bugaboo is a Trojan Horse for speech and thought control, a ruse to reestablish the imperial narrative in all its domestic and international dimensions. It ain’t about “pizza-gate” -- it’s about corporate global power. The mass of folks that are repelled and frightened by Donald Trump and his gang of generalissimos and billionaires may think that they are in a common struggle alongside Clinton and Jill Stein and much of Black leadership against “fascism” in the person of Trump, but the forces in Clinton’s Big Tent are fascists, too, of the global corporate, endless war and deepening austerity kind, who are now drawing up lists of who can speak and what subjects can properly be discussed.

The same people that brought us the Mass Black Incarceration State and preventive detention without charge or trial, too big to jail, systematic Black urban displacement, Kill Lists, proxy jihadist wars and universal surveillance of humanity. The Democrats are emphatically not waging a fight against “fascism.” Instead, they have unleashed a war hysteria.

“The ‘fake news’ bugaboo is a Trojan Horse for speech and thought control, a ruse to reestablish the imperial narrative in all its domestic and international dimensions.”in 2007 – but Putin continued to pursue good relations with the U.S.)

There is nothing “grassroots” about this orchestration of hearings, investigations and legislation aimed at implicating Russia in some conjured aggression against the United States electoral system -- actions that not only did not happen, but should have no legal implications for Americans even if what is alleged to have occurred -- that the Russians selectively released hacked (factual) documents to embarrass Democrats -- did happen.

What is most shocking about the whole affair is that the orchestrators of this War Hysteria/Dump Trump campaign seem to be oblivious to the effect it will have on the people that voted for Trump, representing roughly half of the country. A recount is one thing, but Trump’s supporters will surely not accept the negation of their vote by Hamilton Electors or other machinations. The U.S. criminal justice (and now “Homeland Security”) systems were designed to contain, control and incarcerate the “Others” of society, mainly Black and brown people. If the whites of that political space called “Middle America” decide to burn the house down, there will be no stopping them. Most of the “first responders” are Trump people.

“A recount is one thing, but Trump’s supporters will surely not accept the negation of their vote by Hamilton Electors or other machinations.”

Are the orchestrators deliberately provoking a civil war, or have they lost their minds over the prospect of better relations with the Russians? I think it’s clearly the latter; they haven’t even begun to consider the mass blowback from Trumpland. But, December 19, the date for certification of the electoral vote, is almost upon us.

The election was, of course, stolen – in the usual manner, by Republican Americans. As investigative reporter Greg Palast told Democracy Now!:

“Well, you know, people are looking for Russians, but what we had is a real Jim Crow election. Trump, for example, in Michigan, won by less than 11,000 votes. It looks like we had about 55,000 voters, mostly minorities, removed by this racist system called Crosscheck. In addition, you had a stoppage—even before the courts ordered the complete stop of the vote in Michigan, you had the Republican state officials completely sabotage the recount. They said, in Detroit, where there were 75,335 supposedly blank ballots for president—75,000—they said you can’t count 59 percent of the precincts, where most of the votes were missing. There were 87 machines in Detroit that were—that didn’t function. They were supposed to count about a thousand ballots each. You’re talking about a massive blockade of the black vote in Detroit and Flint, enough votes, undoubtedly, to overturn that election.”



The Democrats never mount a challenge when Jim Crow steals presidential elections. Denying Black people the franchise is kosher, under the gentlemen’s duopoly rules. But, when it comes to improving relations with Russians, the folks in Clinton’s Big Tent go Black Lives Matter on the election process: “Shut It Down!” they scream, “Shut It Down.”

BAR executive editor Glen Ford can be contacted at [email protected].

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When it comes to seeing ourselves clearly, we all have blind spots. So we need people who'll tell us the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.

When someone really loves you, they'll feel compelled to point out the shortcomings in your life, the sinfulness, and areas that need improvement. You may be tempted to dismiss them, but you need to get be...yond the sting of their words and listen for the truth in their message.

The writer of Proverbs tells us"Wounds from a sincere friends are better than many kisses from an enemy. (Proverbs 27:6).

The truth sometimes hurts.

But you must have faith that the encouragers in your life really have your best interests at heart. If you've ever to experience a sense of accomplishment in this life you need someone you can trust; someone who sees where you are, and where the path you're on is leading.

If you want to really know yourself and how you come across to others, you need a trustworthy mirror committed to reflecting the truth back at you instead of what you want to hear.

And if you find yourself resenting the very input you need, think about the Scripture: "The way of a fool seems right to him, but a wise man listens to advice." (Proverbs 12:15)

"Pride....breeds quarrels, but wisdom is found in those who take advice." (Proverbs 13:10). "Plans fails for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed." (Proverbs 15:22).

So here's the question: "Who tells you the truth? That person is your real friend! (Source: The Word For Today)-The Evolution of an MC: Pocket Full of Ghetto Poems Vol.2

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"You are only good as your last haircut-Fran Lebowitz-

by Eric D. Graham

For 41 years Becton's Barber Shop in Magnolia has been the place where Black men have gathered to get their hair cut and their beards trimmed. But it has also been the meeting place where they could openly and honestly debate and argue about race and politics, God and religion, and even women and sports.

Becton's Barber Shop, in fact, is simply a place where you can "lie a little" and laugh a whole lot.

And still get a good hair cut.

"In order to run a successful barber shop, you must have entertainment," said owner Rudolph Becton of Magnolia. "Over the years, we have had some wonderful characters come through that door. Customers like 'Mr. Woody Pearsall, Marvin Lee, George Henry Lee and Ernest Price, who would come almost every day to make everybody laugh. With their conversation and insight, time would go by so fast."

Becton, 78, who occasionally still cuts hair on Friday and Saturday, is in excellent health and spirit, and can be seen riding his bicycle along the highway from Magnolia to Wallace any day of the week for exercise.

Becton stated that the key to living a long and prosperous life is to treat people right and treat yourself better by not smoking, drinking, and staying out too late at night.

Even though many people think he was born in Magnolia, Becton was actually born in Wayne County in a small town called Eureka, where he was the fourth in a line of 13 children (five girls and eight boys.)

"Yes, I was born in Eureka, North Carolina, before moving to a place called Shine's Crossroad out on Highway 13 in Snow Hill in 1950," he explained. "Later, my father, who was a sharecropper, migrated back to Sampson County to work on another farm."

After the Civil War and during the Reconstruction period of the United States, sharecropping became a system of agricultural production in which a landowner allowed a sharecropper  to use the land in return for a share of the crop produced on the land.

Around the age of 14, however, Becton, after working from "can't see morning to can't see night" for six days a week, realized that farming was not for him.

"I remember kneeling down at my father's bedside and saying this white man is going to kill us and we won't have nothing to show for it," laughed Becton.

Through back-breaking labor as a sharecropper's son, Becton began developing his entrepreneurial spirit that would lead him to become one of the most successful Black businessmen in the history of Magnolia.

"I told myself if I can make $1 for another man then I could make $2 for myself," said Becton.

With that type of revolutionary thinking, Becton migrated "up north" to improve his quality of life
like many Blacks during that time.

"Honestly, I never wanted  to go "up North"  but no one here would loan me any money to start a business and nobody would sell me any land," confessed Becton. "Therefore, I moved up north..."

After moving to Arlington, Va., in 1956, Becton obtained success as a barber but still had a desire to return back home and work for himself.

"I felt that if I could come back to North Carolina and make $55-70 a week....then  my wife (Annie) and I could make it and then elevate ourselves from there," he commented.

Ann Becton, Becton's wife of 49 years, however, was not too thrilled about his decision to move back to NC, especially no the "little" town of Magnolia.

"I remember my wife saying to me: "'If  we go back home, we will go hungry'," reminisced Becton.

Becton, however, finally convinced his wife to migrate back to south to NC in 1967, where they were warmly embraced by the community of Magnolia.

Neighbors like Bruce Dixon, Hattie Carr, Florence Ross, Phoebe Moore, Tom Hussey and Ethel Robinson, as well as many more, made sure the Becton family did not go hungry as once feared by Ann, Becton's wife.

"Good Lord!!! There were really some good people here in Magnolia at that time," Becton said with a smile on his face. "I mean, these people didn't know us but yet they would leave bags of vegetables and collards on our doorsteps. And Mrs. Ethel Robinson would cook us dinner every Saturday..."

Despite being embraced by his community, Becton also faced opposition, intimidation, and racism when he started building his barber shop.

"When I purchased this land on 310 S.Monk St. on Highway 117, I had a little difficulty with a particular white family, who would refer to me as a boy in conversation even though I was a 35 year old man at the time," he explained.

Culturally, the term "boy" was used by Southern whites at that time to demean Black men and make them feel inferior and less of a man.

"Boy, you are doing the wrong thing .....he told me," emphasized Becton. "I simply replied, 'I own this land'."

Stereotypically, the white family that kept harassing Becton thought he was building a "juke joint" instead of a barber shop. A juke joint was a Southern expression for a club, which specialized in dancing, drinking and gambling.

After several face-to-face verbal altercations, the white family continued to give Becton problems
until he threatened them with legal action.

After several other encounters, Becton finally had his barber shop built but every Monday morning he would find broken whiskey bottles and beer cans outside of his shop.

"I didn't get angry. I just threw the beer cans and broken bottles in the trash can...and eventually they stopped," he said.

Even though some tried to break Becton's spirit of owning his own business, he endured but admitted it was a struggle in the beginning.

"In the beginning, business was not great at the barber shop. I, in fact, worked night and day. I actually took a job at Duplin General Hospital (DGH) as an orderly from 11 to 7," explained Becton. "I would get off work at 7 a.m. in the morning and my wife would have breakfast for me. I would eat and then go to the barber shop to cut hair."

" I would actually hide in the rest room in a law chair in the shower area and lay down there until someone came in the shop and my wife would call me and I would wake up......and people would think I was coming out of the rest room," he added.

At the time, Becton said he was earning only 98 cents an hour at the hospital while charging $1.25 for haircuts at his barber shop, but his business continued to grow.

In 1970, Becton eventually quit working for DGH after adopting a little girl that he and his wife named Karen.

Becton said his daughter Karen gave his family lots of love and enjoyment and as time went by, his clientele
increased. As a result, he went from one chair to two chairs then three chairs to four chairs. All of sudden, the legacy of Becton's Barber Shop was born.

As customers walk into Becton's Barber Shop today, they notice hundreds of photographs of children of the past that have had their first haircut in Becton's chair.

Many of those children have grown up to have children of their own but they bring them back to Becton's Barber Shop just to meet Becton and pay honor to him.

Becton said he is extremely thankful for his customers because it was through them that he was able to provide for  his family  throughout the years.

After 41 years of cutting hair, Becton said the keys to a successful business are having a nice personality, which makes people feel like they are amongst friends, and producing a clean atmosphere for them to sit in.

"Some people say you must treat everybody the same but I don't agree with that," Becton explained.

"You can't treat everybody the same but you can treat everybody fairly because I don't care if he has been working in a ditch all day-he is just as important as a doctor while in Becton's Barber Shop."


Eric D. Graham,  a former reporter for the Warsaw-Faison & Wallace Enterprise newspaper, who is now a reporter at the Black Athlete Sports Network utilized this article that he wrote in 2008 about hometown Hero Rudolph Becton and transformed it into a documentary called BECTON THE BARBER, which he wrote and directed as well as providing the soundtrack for the film

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 by Eric D.Graham

In the world full of fast food restaurants, where McDonald’s signs cloud the skyline, it’s refreshing to have some “real” soul food being cooked with the same love that our grandmothers had, when the entire family would come together after church on Sunday in order to have dinner.

Well, Joseph & Marcella McClarin have brought that feeling back to the “small town” of Magnolia with the opening of their “NEW” restaurant-simply named Marcella’s.

“I have been cooking since I was 14 years old…” Mrs. McClarin confessed.

“I learnt how to cook by simply watching my mother in the kitchen when I was growing up.”

Marcella said her passion for cooking gives her peace of mind and brings her “JOY” seeing other people “ENJOY” her food.

That “JOY” could be seen on the familiar faces who eagerly returned to the restaurant at 109 North Railroad Street that Friday afternoon as they prepared for another meal at the Soul Food restaurant.
They all comfortably walked in “shouting out” their orders, sharing bottles of hot sauce, while sprinkling it on their fried fish before requesting that their favorite dishes, which include the fish stew, Catfish and Barbeque chicken to be placed on tomorrow’s menu.

“I will have some fish stew tomorrow…” Marcella tells a disappointed customer.

“But, Baby, them hushpuppies are good!!!”

From the outside looking in, it seems as if Mrs. McClarin is doing everything by herself. But, she has the loving support of her husband (Joseph) along with her aunts, cousins and faithful friends, who have all pitched in to help her business to become lucrative.

“My husband, who was a truck driver dropped everything to back my idea.” Marcella said with a smile.

“Plus, on opening day, during Sundays, after church, my friends have helped me by taking orders, pouring tea and waiting on tables even without pay just to see me get this restaurant off the ground.”

Marcella, with the hard-working spirit of her father and the business savvy of her mother, who once owned her own restaurant in Pink Hill, gets up every morning around 2:00 am, where she heads to Magnolia to prepare breakfast for her loyal breakfast club, who have fallen in love with her Omelets, French toast, and grits.

After breakfast, however, Marcella’s day doesn’t slow down.

Matter of fact, it intensifies.

As a result, you will probably find her multi-tasking as she leaves the kitchen, preparing take-out plates for lunch, while “pleasantly” answering the phone and taking more orders.

When asked, “How does she balance operating a restaurant, cooking, and maintaining a happy marriage?” She simply says “I give it to God.”

“I prepare, pray each day and He makes the way…” she confessed.

Despite that, she said she still had a few “haters,” who have questioned where she got the money to start a restaurant, while preparing for her Grand Opening.

“You know, honestly, when people ask me that…Where I got the money to do this?” she says.

“I say, ‘I don’t know’..I simply prayed and fasted and walked on Faith.”

The power of her Faith and hard work can be seen as the lines continue to grow inside and outside the restaurant, as people of all colors patiently wait for an opportunity to taste her “Soul Food,” which includes her famous Southern Fried Chicken, potato salad and her “classic” Million-Dollar pound cake.

With that said, the town of Magnolia won’t be eating any fast food for a long time. Especially, with Marcella cooking in the kitchen.

Eric D.Graham, a graduate of Winston-Salem State University, where he received a B.A. in Mass Communication with a concentration in Radio and Television, with a minor in History, with an emphasis in African-American Studies, is currently the Managing Editor of Black Athlete Sports Network, where his articles appear daily along with his controversial cartoon character Bobbee Bee “The Hater.” Graham can be reached at [email protected] or go to www.bobbeethehater.blogspot.com

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 Alabama-Alabama is the name of an Indian tribe native to the state. This tribal name may have come from the word albina, which means "campsite" in their own language, or from the words alba amo, which mean "clearing brush."
2. Alaska-Alaxsxix, which is a name from the Aleut language. This name means "place the sea crashes against."
3. Arizona-Arizonac, which is a Spanish corruption of a local Indian name-- possibly the Tohono O'odham word alishonag, which means "little spring."
1.
4. Arkansas-Acansa, which is the name of a Quapaw Indian town. Literally the name means "southern place."
5. Connecticut-Quinnitukqut, which is the Mohegan Indian name for the Connecticut River. Literally the name means "long river."
6. Delaware -Named for Lord De La Warr, early governor of Virginia; first applied to river, then to Indian tribe (Lenni-Lenape), and the state.
7. Hawaii -Possibly derived from native word for homeland, Hawaiki or Owhyhee
8. Idaho -A coined name with an invented Indian meaning: "gem of the mountains;" originally suggested for the Pike's Peak mining territory (Colorado), then applied to the new mining territory of the Pacific Northwest. Another theory suggests Idaho may be a Kiowa Apache term for the Comanche.
9. Illinois-Illiniwek, which is the tribal name of the Illini tribe. Literally the name means "best people."
10. Indiana -Means "land of the Indians."

11. Iowa-Ayuhwa, which is one of the tribal names of the Ioway Indian tribe. Literally the name means "sleepy ones."
12. Kansas-Kansa, which is the name of the Kansa Indian tribe. Literally the name means "south" and is a shortened form of their own tribal name for themselves, People of the South Wind.
13. Kentucky-Kentake, which is an Iroquois place name meaning "meadow land."
14. Massachusetts-Massachuset, which is a Wampanoag Indian name meaning "by the range of hills."
15. Michigan-Mshigem or Misigami, which are the native names for Lake Michigan in the Potawatomi and Ojibwe languages. Both names mean "great lake."
16. Minnesota-Mnisota, which is the native name of the Minnesota River in the Dakota Sioux language. Literally the name means "cloudy water."
17. Mississippi-Misiziibi, which is the native name of the Mississippi River in the Ojibwe language. Ojibwe is not actually a native language of Mississippi state-- the language is spoken near the source of the Mississippi River in Minnesota, which is where the river got its name, and the state was later named after the river. Literally the name means "great river."

 18. Missouri-Missouria is the name of an Indian tribe native to the state. Their tribal name came from the word mihsoori, which means "big canoe people."
19. Nebraska-Nibthaska or Nibrathka, which are the native names for the Platte River in the Omaha-Ponca and Otoe languages. Both names mean "flat river."

20. New Mexico-Of course, New Mexico was named after the country of Mexico, but since Mexico itself is named after an American Indian word, the state of New Mexico is also! Mexico is a placename from the Aztec Indian language (Nahuatl.) It literally means "city of the Aztecs."
21. North Dakota-Dakota, which is the tribal name of the Dakota Sioux Indians. Literally the name means "the allies."
22. Ohio-Ohiyo, which is the name of the Ohio River in the Seneca Indian language. Literally the name means "it is beautiful."
Oklahoma-Okla Homma, which means "Red People" in the Choctaw Indian language.
23. Oregon-This was a name given by early American settlers to the Columbia River. It was probably a Native American name which the settlers brought with them from another state, since it does not resemble names from the Native American languages of Oregon. It may have meant "beautiful river" in an eastern Algonquian language.
24. South Dakota-Dakota, which is the tribal name of the Dakota Sioux Indians. Literally the name means "the allies."

 25. Tennessee-Tanasi, which was the name of a Cherokee Indian town in the region. Although "Tanasi" was recorded as the Cherokee name of this town, it does not specifically mean anything in the Cherokee language (just as many English place names are not specific words.) It may have been a shortened form of a longer Cherokee word or phrase, or it may have been named after a Cherokee person.

26. Texas-Taysha, which means "friend" in the Caddo Indian language.
27. Utah-Ute is the name of an Indian tribe native to the state. This tribal name may have come from the word nuutsiu, which means "the people" in their own language.
28. Wisconsin-Wishkonsing, which is the Ojibwe name for the Wisconsin River. However, this word does not have a specific meaning in the Ojibwe language, and none of the Ojibwe Indians in our organization knows any oral traditions about where the name came from.

29. Wyoming-Chwewamink, which means "by the big river flat" in the Lenape Indian tribe. The Lenape Indians never actually lived in Wyoming-- it was originally the name of a town in Pennsylvania, and white settlers from that area brought the name with them when they moved west. (Source: AmericanIndians)

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by Eric D.Graham

NORTH CAROLINA (BASN)—Every year, we engage in the European cult ritual known as Thanksgiving. Not surprisingly, the NFL promotes this holiday with its Thanksgiving Classic, which is a series of games played during the Thanksgiving holiday since the league’s inception in 1920. This year’s game, however, had a little more meaning.

Why? Because, while we were eating Turkey and stuffing and cranberry sauce, the Washington "Redskins" will be playing the Dallas Cowboys, which highlights rookie sensation Dak Prescot and Ezekiel Elliott against Kurt Cousins. Yes, the classic battle between Cowboys versus Indians, which is the premise of American’s violent culture, was showcased during this year’s so-called Thanksgiving Classic. Plus, let’s not forget that psychologically the Dallas Cowboys are considered America’s team. Believe me, this is not a coincidence. And as much as I love a good conspiracy theory, this, however, is the reality of this sad situation. (Read my article I am dreaming of an all-white Christmas and an all-white team on BASN)

Yes, this so-called Thanksgiving classic, should have been called a game of genocide. Why? Because, symbolically and subconsciously it represents the psyche reenactment of the American Holocaust, in which over 19 million Indigenous people were exterminated. Good Indian; Dead Indian　 Remember, US Army General Phillip Sheridan said, “The only good Indian is a dead Indian.” This, however, wasn’t only Sheridan’s philosophy. It was also the military strategy of the United States government, in which Thomas Jefferson was also an advocate of and openly admitted with his own words. “They [Europeans] are nations of eternal war. All their energies are expended in the destruction of labor, property and lives of their people.”

Some people, however, might not see it that way. But the truth, is the truth. According to Dr.Tinga Apidta’s book The Hidden History of Massachusetts: A Guide for Black Folks, Governor Joseph Dudley declared in 1704 a “General Thanksgiving”-not in celebration of the brotherhood of man-but for [God's] infinite Goodness to extend His Favors…In defeating and disappointing… the Expeditions of the Enemy [Indians] against us, And the good Success given us against them, by delivering so many of them into our hands… Old-fashioned fable Comedian Jon Stewart of the Daily Show, tried to make lite of the Day of Mourning for the Ingenious people by joking, “I celebrate Thanksgiving an old-fashioned way. I invited everyone in my neighborhood to my house, we had an enormous feast, and then I killed them and took their land.”

Unfortunately, despite Stewart’s attempt to be funny, this was the real history of Thanksgiving, even though we continue believing in the fairy tale rendition of Pilgrims and Indians holding hands and praying together. Why? Because, there is nothing hilarious about the Holocaust involving the death of 19 million First Nation people, through the methods of constant warfare, chemical warfare through smallpox filled blankets, disease, sterilization, the 1830 Indian Removal, assimilation through education, the slaughter of the Buffalo, colonization, starvation, and reservation.


The myth and the massacre

Despite all of this, every year through out America, elementary school teachers continue to dress up little children in these stupid black Pilgrims costumes with those big buckled shoes and place feathers on their innocent little heads as if it was a made for Disney movie version of Pocahontas and John Smith, while sitting down for a big dinner, singing “One Little, Two Little Indians” with a table filled with pumpkin pies and cranberry. Glen Ford, the Executive editor of Black Agenda Report, wrote an excellent article entitled The end of Thanksgiving: A Cause for Universal Rejoicing which brilliantly dissembled this myth, which has become apart of the so-called American dream and lexicon. The fable (of Thanksgiving) attempts to glorify the indefensible, to enshrine an era and mission that represent the nation’s lowest moral denominators. Thanksgiving as framed in the mythology is, consequently, a drag on that which is potentially civilizing in the national character, a crippling, atavistic deformity. Defenders of the holiday will claim that the politically-corrected children’s version promotes brotherhood, but that is an impossibility – a bald excuse to prolong the worship of colonial “forefathers” and to erase the crimes they committed. Those bastards burned the Pequot women and children, and ushered in the multinational business of slavery. These are facts. The myth is an insidious diversion – and worse.

Ford was correct with assessment of this holiday which we shamefully celebrate as a day of thanks. Why? Because there were no turkey, cranberry sauce or pumpkin pie served on that day but there were about 700 Pequot Indians slaughtered and killed by a savage group of Pilgrims. William Bradford, who was the former Governor of Plymouth at that time, chronicled the event by giving his first hand account of the great massacre of 1637 that marked the beginning of what we know as Thanksgiving today: Those that escaped the fire were slain with the sword; some hewed to pieces, others run through with their rapiers, so that they were quickly dispatched and very few escaped. It was conceived they thus destroyed about 400 at this time. It was a fearful sight to see them thus frying in the fire…horrible was the stink and scent thereof, but the victory seemed a sweet sacrifice, and they gave the prayers thereof to God, who had wrought so wonderfully for them, thus to enclose their enemies in their hands, and give them so speedy a victory over so proud and insulting an enemy.”

Shockingly, this day of mass murderer was proclaimed by Governor John Winthrop of Massachusetts as a day of Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving Day, as a national celebration, in fact, was originally called for by George Washington, who was a slave owner and made a regular holiday later by Abraham Lincoln, who some considered a white suprmacist, right before he signed the Emancipation Proclamation in 1865, which did not free the slaves, when he assigned the fourth Thursday in November as the day of celebration. (Read my previous article on BASN entitled: The Political Football: Secession, Lincoln, and Obama)

The sacred made shameful
Unfortunately, we have forgotten the true history of this day, in order to applaud touchdowns, missed field goals, and bobbled snaps. We have, in fact, rejected the natural and embraced the unnatural. We have shamefully accepted the killing of beautiful people, the theft of beautiful lands, the contamination of beautiful oceans and the pollution of sacred skies in order to foolishly celebrate the festivities of a football game. Matter of fact, we have reduced a sacred people into a few racists mascots and lousy logos like the Cleveland Indians’Chief Wahoo and the Washington Redskins. We sadly mock them by participation in Towahawk chops and chants during Atlanta Braves baseball games and Florida Seminoles football games, while some insensitive sports reporters write headlines like the Seminoles massacred the Gators.

This is, however shear insanity being paraded in front of the world to see. Seriously, celebrating Thanksgiving is like Germany having a day of celebration for the Holocaust. Let’s not forget that according to author John Toland’s The Autobiography of Adolph Hitler, Hitler’s concept of concentration camps as well as the practicality of genocide owed much, so he claimed, to his studies of English and United States history. The North American Indian holocaust was also studied by South Africa for their apartheid program.

1492

And even though, we would like to cover our eyes to this bloody truth, and live in denial, we must as Princeton professor Dr Cornel West stated ” must always view the world through the lens of what took place on 1492….” And if 1492 is our historical reference point, …”when Columbus sailed the ocean blue” in the NiZa, the Pinta, and the Santa Maria, which would eventually be utilized as slave ships, we can’t forget the genocide of the Ingenious people, with eventually led to the African slave trade.

Therefore, in dispelling the myth of Thanksgiving, we also must shatter the myth of Christopher Columbus as well. First of all, we must realize that Christopher Columbus never set foot in what is North America, or the United States.

Matter of fact, Norwegian settlers preceded his arrival in America by some five hundred years. Second, instead of referring to him as an explorer, we should call him an exploiter, a gold digger, a mass murderous missionary, and a slave trader. Honestly, in his quest to find India in the Caribbean, he mistaken called the inhabitants of Hispanola, now modern day Haiti, Indians, while thinking Cuba was Japan. Christopher Columbus Historian Dr.John Henrik Clark remained us that when Christopher Colon set foot on Samana Cay, in the Bahamian Islands, he, in fact, set in motion western racism, colonization, mis-education, distorted history, and the bogus concept of the chosen people through a Manifest Destiny philosophy, which promoted the divine white right to conquer, kill, and Christianized another people . “In his mind, it was enslavement from the very beginning.”

Clarke said.” His intention were not good. Evidence of Columbus’s evil intentions were written in a letter to Spain’s Queen Isabella, when he wrote: We can send from here, in the name of the Holy Trinity, all the slaves and Brazil wood which could be sold.”

Plus, he added these words, to remove all doubt about his intentions. “We shall take you and your wives, and your children, and shall make slaves of them, and we shall take away your goods, and shall do you all the mischief and damage that we can, and we protest that the deaths and losses which shall accrue from this are your fault .”

With that in mind, consider the fact that with Columbus’ arrival to the New World, who himself, was a professional slave trader,he along with his Spanish conquistadors killed up 5 million Tainos, whom were mis-named “Indians” in the Caribbean, within three years, according to primary historian of the Colombian era and Catholic priest Father Bartolome’de las Casas, who was an eye-witness to the destruction. De las Casas, in fact, wrote about it in his multi-volume “History of the Indies,” which was published in 1875. (The Spaniards) “thought nothing of knifing Indians by tens and twenties and of cutting slices off them to test the sharpness of their blades. They forced their way into native settlements, slaughtering everyone they found there, including small children, old men, pregnant women, and even women who had just given birth. They hacked them to pieces, slicing open their bellies with their swords as though they were sheep herded into a pen. They even laid wagers on whether they could manage to slice a man in two at a stroke, or cut an individual’s head from his body, or disembowel him with a single blow of their axes. They grabbed suckling infants by the feet and, ripping them from their mothers’ breasts, dashed them headlong against the rocks. Others, laughing and joking all the while, threw them over their shoulders into a river, shouting: ‘Wriggle, you little perisher.’ They slaughtered anyone on their path …” Nothing worth celebrating
Despite these horrible facts, the United States of America still considers him to be a American hero worthy of celebration and praise. Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, however, doesn’t think so. There’s nothing to celebrate,” said the Venezuelan president, who in 2002 signed a decree to change the name of its Oct.12 Columbus Day to the Day of Indigenous Resistance. “They executed an aboriginal every 10 minutes – the biggest genocide registered in history” Columbus Day, which was made a federal holiday in 1971, in fact, is one of only two holidays to honor a person by name, the other of course is Martin Luther King Jr.

Not surprisingly, in a speech in 1989, President George Bush proclaimed: “Christopher Columbus not only opened the door to a New World, but also set an example for us all by showing what monumental feats can be accomplished through perseverance and faith.” These words alone from the former President of the United States should put to rest all of this “New World Order” talk, because it is actually an Old World Order, which the West have been practicing since they came in contact with the First Nation People of the earth.

Records and recorded history

So, regardless, of how much you celebrate the laser precision passes thrown by Dak Prescot during the game, or how tender the turkey is, or how many times Tony Romo prays that he gets his starting position back, we must keep the true meaning of this day always on our mines. (Read my previous article Testing the Testimony of Tebowism on BASN)

Why? Because, originally, football wasn’t America’s favorite sport. It was the hunting and killing of “Indians” And as a famous football coach once said, “You are, what your record says you are." Eric D.Graham, a graduate of Winston-Salem State University, where he received a B.A. in Mass Communication with a concentration in Radio and Television, with a minor in History, with an emphasis in African-American Studies, is currently the Managing Editor of Black Athlete Sports Network, where his articles appear daily along with his controversial cartoon character Bobbee Bee “The Hater.” Graham can be reached at [email protected] or go to www.bobbeethehater.blogspot.com

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The political upset, however, was simply a “Reject to Elect” campaign.
It was, in fact, a process in which the people voted for the “Devil, they didn’t know instead of voting for the Devil, they already knew..”


Ironically, this time, this bankrupt political ideology, of voting for the Lesser of the Two Evils backfired and left the world stunned in disbelief.

I mean, really….

With that said, Trump is really not a Republican, Democrat, Liberal, or Conservative. He is a nationalist by theory and a white version of Don King by practice, who exploited the blind patriotism, sexism, racism, xenophobia of a large section of American that hated to see a Black man in the White House for the last eight years. So, maybe CNN political commentator Van Jones was correct with his “white lash” tear-eyed analogy.


In other words, Donald J. Trump, in 71 more days, will be the President of these United States by “hook or crook.”



Eric D.Graham is  a graduate of Winston-Salem State University, where he received a BA in Mass Communication with a concentration in Radio & Television, with a minor in History with an emphasis on African-American Studies. Currently, he is a Sports Reporter/Columnist and Cartoonist for the Black Athlete Sports Network in Harlem, NY, where his thought-provoking articles appear on a weekly basis. www.blackathlete.net

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by Matt Sedillo

“So long as there is a ruling class they shall rule by fire and blood.”

The loathsome and shameless hypocrisy of the Democratic Party and the doctrine of lesseroftwoevilism has been laid bare this political season. This same Democratic Party that unquestionably rigged the primaries against the left-leaning Bernie Sanders campaign is now selling itself to the public as the savior of the downtrodden from the threat of an uber right wing candidate.
Hillary Clinton at this point in her election run appears to be making no promises to the public other than to not to physically morph into Donald Trump during her coronation come Election Day.

Lesseroftwoevilism is a bankrupt political ideology and the means by which the Democratic Party deadens any inkling towards decency or rational self interest that may lay dormant in the American electorate. Hillary Clinton and the Democratic Party intend to use the platform of "at least not being Donald Trump" to install the most despised Democratic candidate in a generation into the White House.


It is indeed horrifying that a straight up eugenicist billionaire who brags about sexual assaulting women won the Republican primary. It is terrifying that the cult leader of a white nationalist zombie apocalypse has gotten this far through the electoral process.

“There is no greater threat to the future of much of life on the planet than Hillary Clinton.”


The country is polarizing and it is terrifying to see that much of it is polarizing in the direction of Donald Trump whose campaign is defined by phrases like “Make America Great Again” quickly followed by “Mexico Will Pay.” Much of the country is also polarized in the direction of Bernie Sanders. It was the political apparatus of the Democratic Party, not the Republicans, that prevented these two competing visions from standing before the American public.

Setting aside the fact, for a moment, that we don't live in a democracy, it must be noted that lesseroftwoevilism in American politics is an ideology by Americans for Americans. Hillary Clinton, Donald Trump, AND Bernie Sanders are all advocates of the US war machine. If any of these three warlords were to sit in the seat of power children in far off lands would still be bombed in their sleep and be reported on as collateral damage.

Hillary Clinton is the most bloodthirsty advocate for murder and mayhem in a political system that thrives upon such practices. When it comes to dropping bombs, obliterating nations or possibly igniting a nuclear winter there is no greater threat to the future of much of life on the planet than Hillary Clinton.

Rainbow Coalition of Hawks 

Far beyond a “basket of deplorables,” the 2016 Republican national convention was a ghastly horror show of the most reactionary, bigoted elements of American political culture. Less than esteemed actor Scott Baio captured the mood when he proclaimed, “so of course let’s make America great again, but let’s make America America again.”  That largely captured the theme of the proceedings and most speeches were some variation upon that theme.

The Democrats in response sought to make their convention a big tent of peoples, ideas and movements. And indeed from the spontaneous chants of “black lives matter” to Tim Kaine leading a chant of “si se puede” to Eva Longoria reminding the audience “we didn’t cross the borders the borders crossed us” to Michelle Obama letting the thousands in attendance and the millions watching at home know that slave labor built the White House and the country, from Sebastian De La Cruz singing the national anthem in full mariachi garb to the Khan family holding a copy of the Constitution, the Democratic National Convention did present itself as a stark contrast to what the GOP was offering.  


The theme of inclusion ran high and, indeed, current president Barack Obama made his call for strength in unity, explicitly saying “And most of all I see Americans of every party, every background, every faith who believe we are stronger together, black white, Latino, Asian, Native American, young, old, gay, straight, men, women, folks with different abilities, all pledging allegiance, under the same proud flag, to this big bold country that we love.” One flag to rule them all.

“America the greatest and most diverse nation on Earth shall ransack the globe as it sees fit.”

General John Allen, standing before a multi ethnic group of people continued upon this theme and made the connection between a more inclusive union and explicit projection of American might
“Every American, in uniform or out, in the White House or at home, must be a force for unity in America, for a vision that includes all of us: every man and woman, every race, every ethnicity, every faith and creed, every gender orientation – all of us together pursuing our common values.

“From the battlefield to the capitals of our allies, friends, and partners, the free peoples of the world look to America as the last best hope for peace and for liberty for all humanity, for we ARE the greatest country on this planet.

“So we stand before you tonight to endorse Hillary Clinton for President of the United States of America.”

The message could not be clearer. Sorry Donald Trump, we are all Americans here. No apologies rest of the world, America the greatest and most diverse nation on Earth shall ransack the globe as it sees fit.

The response to the white nationalism of Donald Trump has been the rainbow coalition of hawks as chiefly embodied in the persons of Barrack Obama and Hillary Clinton.

Hillary Clinton: The Obliterator of Nations

Hillary Clinton is a war criminal. So is John Kerry. So is Condoleezza Rice. So are Colin Powell and Madeleine Albright. The secretary of state in an imperialist nation is the immediate manager of the projected might of the empire they represent.

Hillary Clinton is known to be a war hawk for much the same reason Donald Trump is known as a white nationalist. She is blatant and crass about it.

“We came. We saw. He died” – Hillary Clinton on the assassination of Ghadaffi

“In the next 10 years, during which they might foolishly consider launching an attack on Israel, we would be able to totally obliterate them” – Hillary Clinton speaking of obliteration of 75 million Iranians.


For much of the past few months the Clinton campaign have bemoaned a Russian conspiracy to reveal the words that Hillary Clinton actually wrote and thereby influence the American election.
Hillary Clinton’s neo-Mcarthyite cold war against her own words and general war talk on Russia should come as no surprise to anyone paying any attention. She was hawkish on Russia in their land dispute with Georgia over Ossetia, even going so far as to arm the Georgian government in 2010 less than two years after the conflict. She was warlike on the conflict in the Ukraine, promising Ukrainian government officials as recent as September of this year to stand with them against “Russian aggression.”

“A Clinton presidency is the will of the ruling class.”

This is the talk of someone prepared for a nuclear apocalypse.

It should be mentioned, however, that Obama has also dialed up his anti Russian rhetoric, as has Tim Kaine, as has Mike Pence. It is only the white nationalist orange demon -- guided only by his own whims and twitter feuds -- that is at all off script on this question.

Ultimately a Clinton presidency is the will of the ruling class. If she wants war it is a reflection of their desire for war. If they want the bombs to fall then death will rain from the sky.  So long as they hold power they shall exercise it. So long as there is a ruling class they shall rule by fire and blood, because there truly is no alternative. Because ultimately, this is about Clinton and then again it isn’t. And this is about the Democrats and then again it isn’t. This is about the US and this is about war. Hillary Clinton is a 2016 warlord. War is a racket. And so is this God damn election.

Matt Sedillo can be contacted at [email protected].

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by Bruce A. Dixon

It’s that time again, it’s presidential election season, and as we hear every four years, THIS is the most important presidential election of our lives. The fact that you’ve heard that before should tell us something. It should SHOW us that in presidential years, many old things becomes new again, often because so much of what we’re told IS new is really pretty old.

Malcolm X has been dead now a half century, dead for more years than he was ever alive. But since at least one of the tricks and traps deployed to fool, frustrate and neutralize our grandparents’ right to vote hasn’t changed much we might want to listen carefully to what Malcolm’s words in the aftermath of the 1964 presidential election.

“If Johnson had been running all by himself, he would not have been acceptable to anyone. The only thing that made him acceptable to the world was that the shrewd capitalists, the shrewd imperialists, knew that the only way people would run toward the fox would be if you showed them a wolf. So they created a ghastly alternative. And it had the whole world — including people who call themselves Marxists — hoping that Johnson would beat Goldwater.”

Like today’s Donald Trump, Republican presidential candidate Barry Goldwater was a truly reprehensible and frightening figure, who had opposed the Civil Rights Act of 1964 that banned racial discrimination in public accommodations, and who favored the use of nuclear weapons to defoliate the Vietnamese countryside. Also like Donald Trump, Goldwater never really stood a chance of winning the election. Goldwater the wolf was buried beneath a Johnson landslide, carrying only 6 out of the 50 states. Republican officeholders are running away from Donald Trump not because he’s a racist buffoon but because he’s expected to lose states Republicans are accustomed to winning.
The fox, Lyndon Baines Johnson went on to start a war in Indochina that killed three million Vietnamese alone. LBJ defoliated the Vietnamese countryside with millions of tons of Agent Orange instead of nukes, causing hundreds of thousands of hideous and gruesome birth defects that continue to this day.

The wolf and the fox this year are Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton. Trump is a real estate con man, a racist and a hyper-entitled sexual predator who talks about building walls and banning Muslims. Fortunately for us all, Trump has never been in government. Hillary has scarcely ever been out of government. She’s fronted for Wal-Mart, executed bloody regime change in Libya, brought US troops to Ukraine on the Russian border, and publicly itches for a showdown in Syria. Thanks to Wikileaks there is copious evidence that Hillary’s public stands on a wide range of issues from charter schools to so-called trade agreements, to fracking and social security stand in stark contrast to the promises she makes to the powerful.

Just as it worked 52 years ago, the overwhelming defeat of her wolfish opponent will give Hillary the appearance of a mandate. But the margin of Hillary’s victory provides those of us on the left an unprecedented opportunity. It means there is no need for those who imagine themselves on the of jobs, justice, peace and the planet to ride to Hilllary’s rescue and ensure the defeat of Donald Trump. Trump has already beaten himself.

This election is our best chance to break out of the decades-old two party trap and build a new political force, a new political party. The Green Party is the only peace party, the only party that stands for people and planet over profit, and our only opportunity to vote our hopes, not our fears. It’s time to choose.

We vote Green and build Green, we can consign the political conundrum Malcolm X eloquently described a half century ago to the garbage can of history. Or we can vote for Hillary, and Malcolm’s words will be as applicable four or eight years or twenty years from now as they have been for the last fifty. For Black Agenda Radio I’m Bruce Dixon.

Bruce Dixon is managing editor at Black Agenda Report and the co-chair of the GA Green party.   He lives and works near Marietta GA and can be reached at [email protected].

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Which, Murphy had cleverly hidden underneath another Tee-shirt that ironically had a peace sign on it. 

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NEW MUSIC COMING SOON!!! "WITH THESE BLACK EYES" off the album Evolution of an MC: Pocket Full of Ghetto Poems Vol. 2 by Eric D.Graham

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"It’s a nod to Trayvon, no question. Trayvon Martin and people like him. People like Jordan Davis, a kid who was shot because of the perception that he was a danger. When you’re a black man in a hoodie all of a sudden you’re a criminal. That’s something we shouldn’t have to deal with, but we do. It’s a double standard. We can’t cover our head when it’s cold and raining because God forbid someone sees us and puts our life in danger. We wanted to pay homage to that — it’s not something we were shying away from.” [Mike Colter; Luke Cage] -Pocket Full of Ghetto Poems-

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You are cordially invited to attend the (Red-carpet viewing) of BECTON THE BARBER: The Life of Rudolph Becton on SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 18TH 2016 at 5PM at the Lori G. Britt

Agricultural Service Center (Duplin Co. Commons Building) 165 Agriculture Drive Kenansville, NC 28349-These Are Magnolia Memories-ADMISSIONS $10 Adults, $5 Children-

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NORTH CAROLINA (BASN)-As my mother and I were watching 100m Olympic Track & Field event, which featured the electrifying Usain Bolt from Jamaica, she asked me the price of the  medals that adorned the necks of all of those decorated Olympic athletes.

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NORTH CAROLINA (BASN)-According to Peter Wehner’s article in Time Magazine entitled The Party’s Over..”Republicans became uncreative and intellectually lazy. They placed themselves in an ideological straitjacket, trying to be more Reagan than Reagan. As a result, too many Republicans lost touch with ordinary Americans. They had almost nothing to say about wage stagnation, the struggle of working-class Americans, the lack of social mobility, soaring tuition and health care costs, and how to extend health insurance to the uninsured. They were unable to explain, let alone address, huge structural changes caused by globalization, advances in technology and automation, which had harsh effects on low-skill workers. Blue collar Americans, in particular, felt unheard, ignored, and abandoned,” which, unfortunately, led to the presidential demise of Mitt Romney in 2008, after is 47% comment went viral.

As a result, the Tea-Party was born, which bred political candidates like Ted Cruz and Sarah Palin.  But, Donald Trump, has piggybacked off their alleged anti-establishment rhetoric, conservative Constitution politics and “high jacked” their voters and  turned the American political process into a Vince McMahon inspired WWE wrestling match. Unfortunately, the only thing missing are the colorful costumes, brake away tables and a few flying elbows. (Read my article Wrestling With Politics: Playing the Trump Card on BASN)

Playing the Trump Card

Well, I ‘ll take that back…Because, now, Donald Trump’s political rallies are filled with fist fights, sucker punches, and name-calling-WORST THAN any wrestling match…
Hell, it’s  a DAMN shame legendary Hulk Hogan was stripped from WWE for using the N-word, especially after all of the foolishness coming out of Donald Trump’s mouth on his way to the White House in 2016.
Because, with no teleprompter, to guide his speeches, the reality show star and former beauty pageant promoter  has questioned the veracity of Obama’s Hawaiian birth certificate, called Ted Cruz, “lying Ted” while  arguing that the Canadian-born Texas Senator, along with Cuban-American Florida Senator Marco Rubio, whom he calls “little Marco”  were ineligible to occupy the Oval Office.

The Jewish Factor

He also has claimed, without any evidence, to have seen televised footage of  Muslims celebrating in New Jersey after planes crushed in the World Trade Center on Sept.11.
Unfortunately, according to BlackAgendaReport managing editor Bruce A.Dixon, “the people doing the cheering weren’t Muslims: they were five young Israelis in a white moving van, who were observed in Liberty Park ecstatically taking pictures of themselves framed against the smoking ruins of the Twin Towers. As ABC News reported, the five were later arrested at gunpoint near the New Jersey Giants football stadium. Most U.S. intelligence sources believed the men were Israeli spies, and that their “moving company” was an Israeli intelligence cover.”
With that said, with every election, every politicians must prove, or better yet, pledge their love to Israel, which Trump, in the beginning, seemed to be going against the grain when he said, he would  be “neutral” in dealing with stalled Israeli-Palestinian negotiation on an independent Palestinian state as well as his refusal to denounce the support of former Grand Wizard of the Ku Klux Klan David Duke, who believes that Zionist influence every part of  American politics, during a recent interview with CNN.

Now, however, according to the USA Today report Shira Rubin, the GOP is encouraging American citizens who live in Israel-especially those from pivotal swing states like Florida-to vote for Trump.
Michal Adar, who originally from Atlanta and now lives in Raanana, Israel- is quoted as saying “We trust Trump, because we know he shares our values and that he has the right kind of worldview-that maybe not every Muslim is a terrorist, but that every terrorist is in fact a Muslim.”
Yes, this was the Frankenstein monster that the Republican Party had made and feared that they might have to destroy if he continued his destructive path throughout the American political arena.

Leading By Example


But, was Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton, the best leadership America had to offer?-
According to Suzy Kassem in her book – Rise Up and Salute the Sun, the American people should… “Pick a leader who will not only bail out banks and airlines, but also families from losing their homes — or jobs due to their companies moving to other countries. Pick a leader who will fund schools, not limit spending on education and allow libraries to close. Pick a leader who chooses diplomacy over war. An honest broker in foreign relations. A leader with integrity, one who says what they mean, keeps their word and does not lie to their people. Pick a leader who is strong and confident, yet humble. Intelligent, but not sly. A leader who encourages diversity, not racism. One who understands the needs of the farmer, the teacher, the doctor, and the environmentalist — not only the banker, the oil tycoon, the weapons developer, or the insurance and pharmaceutical lobbyist.”
Unfortunately, the camera-loving Trump fails to meet many of Kassem’s qualifications. But, a large segment of the American pollution seems to love what he says and what he stands for.
Blaming Obama
But, the question remains-Is this all President Obama’s fault for creating this cult of personality, which “made” him President in 2008?
Did his eight years in office really destroy the fabric of American society?
Hell, white America has to blame somebody for their problems and short-comings?
But, seriously, was Obama’s MLK utopian dream  …or should  I say. His Audacity of HOPE for a better America  too much for the Washington insider’s to handle?
Shockingly, former President Bill Clinton, thinks President Obama does bear some of the blame for this years “wacky” election. Because, according to him, ” Millions of people look at that pretty picture of America he painted and they cannot find themselves in it.”
Boy, Slick Willie is back at again, saxophone and all….
Now, let’s analyze those words, “Million of people look at that pretty picture of America he painted and they cannot find themselves…..
Who could Clinton be talking about?-Especially, after this year’s Oscars, which comedian and host Chris Rock called “the white people’s choice awards,” where two sports-themed movies, lead by African-American actors, Michael B. Jordan (Creed) and Will Smith (Concussion) were overlooked.


The Silent Majority

Well, it seems, like that silent majority, is no other than the “white working class,” who are frustrated and angry because their jobs have been moved overseas to countries like Mexico, China, India, Vietnam and Thailand in exchange for cheap labor and larger wages for US corporations.
As a result, Trump’s has been ‘trumpin’ up his racial rhetoric, while feeding on the primal fears of the nation and  claiming he is going to make “America better again”by bragging boldly about  building a giant Wall and deporting all  illegal aliens and closing the borders to prevent all Muslims from entering the country and registering their names in a database.
He even, shamefully, stated that he could shoot someone in the Middle of Time’s Square and not loses voters in the poll, which was extremely foolish. Especially, when Black men, in seemed, were being shot and killed by the police on a weekly bases.
Matter of fact, after the shootings in Baton Rogue, Minnesota and Dallas, Trump, in rare form, tried to utilize those incidents to draw an even further widget between voters by using  Republican race-baiting code words like ‘law and order,’ which was reminiscent of the 1988 Willie Horton ad used by then- Republican candidate George H.W. Bush.

White Supremacy Theology


Not surprisingly, to many political scientists, Trump was simply displaying America’s greatest religion, which is not Christianity, which it confesses, but “White Supremacy….
Trump proved this when he went to Liberty University misquoting scripture when he said that “Christianity, it’s under siege…(and) We’re going to protect Christianity – and I can say that. I don’t have to be politically correct….Two Corinthians, right? Two Corinthians 3:17, that’s the whole ballgame…Where the spirit of the Lord … right? Where the spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.”
Despite that, he still was able to gain the political endorsement of the president of Liberty University Jerry Falwell Jr as well as televangelist Paula White, who has been his spiritual advisor for 14 years, the 700 Club’s Pat Robertson in 1988, who ran for President in and Dallas mega-church minister Joel Osteen along with other foolish “Negro ministers and leaders (Ben Carson, included),who wished to sit a his table and eat the bread crumbs off of his golden plate.
But, despite Trump’s constant bumbling remarks, his supporters continue to support him and his brand, while rallying behind his divisive message.

Worldwide View

Unfortunately, those who didn’t support Trump’s brand of bigotry, which include The Bloombergs, The Bushes, The Romneys, The McCains, The Cruzes, and The Grahams, continued to feel that his poisonous rhetoric was a threat to America’s democracy worldwide.
Greg Guma, of Toward Freedom magazine, in this in an article wrote in July 2000, summed up most people thinking about the 2016 election between Trump and Hillary, in article published in July 2000 when he wrote “around the world, the message received is that, whoever wins {the U.S. election}, expect only more of the same-national narcissism disguised as altruism, corporate appeasement, and the arbitrary use of U.S. military and economic might.”
Sadly, I was agree.
The evil empire stands, whether woman or man.

Eric D.Graham , a graduate from Winston-Salem State University, where he received a BA in Mass Communication with a concentration in Radio & Television and a minor in History with an emphasis in African-American Studies, is a sports columnist at Black Athlete Sports Network, where his thought-provoking articles and controversial cartoon Here Comes “The Hater” appear on a weekly basis.

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by Eric D.Graham

(BASN) North Carolina-Race has always been a factor in America.
We can’t deny that fact.
The election of America’s first African-American president showed us the ugliest part of some people’s psyche as well as  the hidden hatred dwelling in some of their hearts. As a result, we saw the rise of white supremacy theology, confederate flags, and the shouts of angry white men proclaiming that they “wanted to take their country back” become the norm.
With the world, seemingly, divided along racial and political lines, African-American voters continued to play plantation politics by pledging their allegiance not to the United of States of America but to the Clintons, who they were instructed to vote for regardless, who else ran-out of fear not strategy.
As a result, seemingly, out of nowhere, Donald Trump, who through his speeches and twitter feeds, became the anti-establishment boogeyman, while pretending to be a Constitutional Conservative Christian, fed off the fear of African-Americans and the anger of white men with promises of building a bigger and better wall to keep the Mexicans out, banning all Muslims, and bombing the hell out of Isis.
Matter of fact, Trump, it seemed, was speaking out of the Pat Buchanan’s playbook (Suicide of a Super Power), while mixing politics with professional wrestling as he offered insult after insult until he eliminated all of his opponents in Republican primaries.
Yes, in the age of the Kardashians, Fox News and Reality TV, Donald Trump’s “brand” of counterfeit politics was being applauded and cheered like one of Vince McMahon’s Monday night Raw wrestling matches on pay-per-view.
It was the “politics of fear” (Clinton) versus the “politics of Hate”(Trump).
So, I guess, former professional wrestler Jesse “The Body” Ventura was correct when he said that politics was no different than Vince McMahon’s WWE professional wrestling. Why? Because, “they provide you with two opposites, who pretend to be adversaries in front of the public-one playing the GOOD COP, the other plays the BAD COP, depending on whether you’re sitting in the high-priced seats or the bleachers-until ultimately, they’re both working for the same things; maintaining their power, getting richer and making sure their wealthy backers keep their control of their stakes in the government.”
But, was this political riff between Trump and Hilary real or fake? Or, simply entertainment.
Everyone seemed confused. Because, no matter what came out of Trump’s mouth, it seemed, as if, he couldn’t lose.
Sadly, Trump had successfully turned the political process into a circus, a clown show, or, simply another espoide of his reality TV program.
But, despite Trump’s tough New York trash talking demeanor and Taylor-made suits,  “it’s still was the economic stupid…”
Yes. This was the real driving force behind the anger of all these white men, who were bankrupted, jobless, homeless after foreclosures, while they found themselves swimming in debt and drowning in red ink due to stagnant wages.
So, in their desperation, they clung to their Bibles and their guns, a prayed to their Charles Manson looking saviour, that this rich, slick talking businessman, whose wealth and riches were proof enough for them that he could fix  their financial problems and political woes-swiftly and quickly and fly away in his helicopter.
Yes.
He was just like them.
So, they thought.
He wanted to make America Great Again or White Again-depending on who you were talking to.
Because, no matter what he said, he was still better than that “crooked Hilliary or lying Ted.”
Besides, they could tolerate a Black man being President named Barack Hussein Obama, who Trump claimed was from Kenya and the leader of Isis.
But, not a white woman in a pantsuit named Hillary Clinton.
Why? Because,, this is a “white man’s world” and a woman should know her place.
Eric D.Graham , a graduate from Winston-Salem State University, where he received a BA in Mass Communication with a concentration in Radio & Television and a minor in History with an emphasis in African-American Studies, is a sports columnist at Black Athlete Sports Network, where his thought-provoking articles and controversial cartoon Here Comes “The Hater” appear on a weekly basis.

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5 STAGES OF GRIEF-by (Eric D.Graham)-With all the murder and mayhem in the Nation, overseas, in our neighborhoods, where within a 60-hour period during the Memorial Day Weekend 59 people were shot, 13 fatally in Chicago and within our family during these troubling times, we must admit that, we are all trying to copy with all the death and destruction on the nightly news. Especially, with the murders of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile that sparked righteous outrage, which led to the assassination of eight police officers in Dallas and Baton Rogue. As a result, I offer the 5 STAGE OF GRIEF, which we all are going through- in order to cope with this- seemingly- endless pain-Pocket Full of Ghetto Poems-

1. Denial – It is really the first of our reactions to any form of sudden loss. Depending on the relationship we share to the subject of our loss, the more our lives may be uprooted or altered. It is very common for people to try and initially deny the event in order to subconsciously avoid sadness, or the thought of pending mental struggles. People in denial often withdraw from their normal social behavior and become isolated. Denial has no set time frame, or may never be felt at all. However, it is considered the first stage of grief.

2. Anger – People that are grieving often become upset with the person or situation which put them in their grief state. After all, their life could now be in complete disarray. The path of least resistance is anger as opposed to facing the consequences of a loss head on. In the case of death, the anger is often focused toward the deceased for leaving that person behind and unable to cope. Other times people become angry at themselves if they feel they could have done something more to stop the loss from happening.



3. Bargaining – This is when those who are grieving are reaching out to the universe to make the pain go away. It is actually very normal, and largely considered to be a sign that they are beginning to comprehend their situation. People will often try to make a deal, or promise to do anything, if the pain will be taken away.



 4. Depression – Contrary to popular belief, depression is something that may take some time to develop. We often think we are depressed when a grief event first occurs, but there is usually a lot of shock and other emotions present before any real depression can set in. The signs of depression due to grief usually appear when a sense of finality is realized. This is not to be confused with clinical depression, which may be chronic. Depression due to grief is technically episodic, even though it may last for a lengthy period of time.


5. Acceptance – This is the point where the person experiencing grief no longer is looking backward to try and recover the life they once had with the deceased, or other cause of their grief episode. It is not to say that they no longer feel the vast array of emotions brought on by their grief, but they are ready to embrace the idea that they are reaching a new point in there lives. At this point, they are beginning to understand that there is a new beginning on the horizon.
Acceptance should not be confused with healing or recovering from the loss, since that would put an enormous amount of pressure on people experiencing grief. Acceptance is really the beginning of the real healing process. It is the point where recovery becomes about the person left behind, and not about the person being mourned.

www.bobbeethehater.blogspot.com

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FEEL THE SURGE!!! THE JROMELLE MORNING SHOW LIVE!!! featuring Eric D.Graham (Pocket Full of Ghetto Poems: The Making of a Hip-Hop Classic

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ARE WE ON THE AIR: THIS SATURDAY, APRIL 16, at 11:00 am, Eric Graham will be making a guest appearance on Surge Radio 100.5 FM in order to discuss his latest CD Pocket Full of Ghetto Poems: The Making of a Hip-Hop Classic as well as addressing other topics on The J. Romelle Morning Show, which is a youth-oriented talk program, that features interviews with individuals working to make a positive difference for young people in the community.

So, don't forget to tune in this weekend at 11:00 am!!!!

-More than Music-Streaming live on surgeradio.org
Download the surge Radio app for Android and iPhone devices

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